


sleepy frost and sunshine kisses

by terribledorkness



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, bed sharing trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 19:50:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12895479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terribledorkness/pseuds/terribledorkness
Summary: Emma and Regina are stuck outside of Storybrooke, with no way back in, and now there’s only this crappy motel, with one room. And one bed.There’s two of them.So, things become sufficiently awkward, to say in the least.A bed-sharing trope where Regina insults the bug a lot, Emma attempts to control her spiralling feelings for Regina, and a three-star motel with outrageously expensive rooms.





	sleepy frost and sunshine kisses

**Author's Note:**

> So, to the friend who I annoyed into watching OUAT, and dragged into the SQ fandom, here's your favorite trope to make up for all the angsty feels of watching Emma and Regina be blatantly in love on the frustration of a show that is OUAT.

 

It’s idiotic, really, how they end up in this position. The position being, Regina, sulking inside the bug, arms crossed, and Emma, glaring angrily at the empty forest road, where she is sure that under the cover of a magical town line, some very mischievous villains are standing.

 

It happens like this:

 

Emma, realising that Cruella and Ursula really weren’t up to any good- because- let’s face it- they haven’t done that whole redemption arc that most villains-turned-heros are compelled to try.

 

Emma, enlisting one Regina Mills to help her get the two troublemakers out of town. Those two troublemakers having already set a town library on fire, stolen little Pinocchio's lollipop right from his hand, and loudly refused to eat any of Granny’s fare. The two of them, finding Cruella and Ursula in Regina’s vault, smashing bottles and searching for the scroll that got them past the town line.

 

Regina, naturally, getting extremely murderous, _(no one smashes my things, Emma, I smash things, that’s my thing, okay?_ ) and the two of them, chasing after Cruella and Ursula, both of whom were speeding towards the town line in Cruella’s death trap of a car.

 

But of course, Emma messes up. As Regina puts it, her incompetence screwed them over once again. Emma’s gaining on them, and so she doesn’t notice the bright orange town line growing nearer. So, when Cruella suddenly skids to a stop, her car landing neatly right before the town sign, Emma, in her surprise, is too late to slow. She slams on her breaks- but it’s too late, and she and Regina are over the town line, the only thing left greeting them a very empty road.

 

So, now here they are, five minutes later, Emma frantically dialling her parents. Regina’s sitting in the car, fuming.

 

“Next time I’m driving.” Regina calls, and Emma casts a withering look where she’s sure Ursula and Cruella are standing, gloating, most likely. _See what I’m stuck with now._ “I mean, you’ve proved to be quite insufficient at a simple car chase, so if we ever go anywhere again in this metal deathtrap, _I am driving._ ”

 

“Alright alright.” Emma grumbles, casting Regina an annoyed glare. “I’m just-” The dialling number stops, and Snow’s cheery voice filters through the phone. “Oh thank god.” Emma exclaims, with relief. “Help.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Snow asks, and in the background, Emma can hear Neal crying.

 

Emma explains the situation. “So me, _and Regina,_ are stuck out here. Just to clarify- _a very annoyed Regina._ Okay? Just- did you get that?”

 

“I got it.” Snow answers, amused, and Regina snorts from her place in the car. “Where is the Snow Queen’s scroll again?”

 

“In the vault, fourth shelf by the chimera tongue.” Emma repeats, wrinkling her nose slightly. Snow ends the call, and Emma goes and waits in the bug, rubbing her hands together as the cold Maine air filters through her jacket.

 

“Cold?” Regina asks, still looking mildly incensed by Emma’s presence.

 

“Yeah.” Emma replies, shivering slightly, and turning up the heat, the car beneath her cranking and groaning as it attempts to conjure up some warmth in it’s rusty interior. “It’s pretty cold this time of year.”

 

“Perhaps you should get a proper winter jacket instead of that ridiculous- leather atrocity.” Regina replies, sniffing slightly. “Maybe you should also take a driving lesso-”

 

“Okay, okay, I got it!” Emma cuts Regina off. “I’m a terrible driver, yadda yadda yadda. _I know._ ”

 

Regina still isn’t looking at her, but Emma notices a smug expression creep onto her face. “Glad to see you’ve acknowledged that.”

 

Emma’s phone rings again, and snatching it, Emma casts another look at Regina. The other woman had been pretty irritated as of late- why, Emma’s not sure. She’d been confident that they’d gotten over the whole _i-brought-your-soulmate’s-wife-back-from-the-dead_ fiasco, and were back to being friends, but recently, Regina had been more snippy than usual.

  
And that’s saying something. Regina’s pretty snippy in general.

 

“Mom?” Emma asks, hands gripping the phone eagerly. “Are you at the town line?”

 

Snow’s reply is hesitant. “Er- Emma- there’s- we have a problem.”

 

Emma groans. A problem, when Snow says it, means that it is, in fact, _a problem._ A bad, bad problem. For a while, Emma wasn’t even sure her mother had the world _problem_ in her vocabulary; once Neal had gotten into all of Snow’s jam jars, and smeared them on the walls, and Snow had smiled brightly and said, _looks like we need to do some redecorating!_

 

So, Emma’s pretty worried.

 

Regina leans in, her breath still fogging in the cold car. “What did she say?” She inquires, looking at Emma’s grim face. “Oh, god, she found the goblin toes on the third shelf, didn’t she?” Regina shakes her head. “Snow-” She yells into the phone. “Those toes were already severed when I got them!” She looks at Emma’s disgusted expression. “They are incredibly valuable for potions. Don’t freak out-”

 

“Regina, she’s not talking about the-” Emma shakes her head. “Ew, for one. But Snow says we have a problem.”

 

Regina’s face drops. “Oh no.”

 

“Oh no.” Emma agrees, and puts the phone on speaker. “Mom, what’s the problem?”

 

Snow’s voice trembles slightly. “The Snow Queen’s scroll is gone. I have no idea when we’ll find it.”

  
Regina and Emma stare at each other, and then back at the rickety heating system that the bug is providing. Their breath is still fog in the wintery air, and the only warmth in the car is the whistling heater that’s emitting one miniscule stream of hot air. Unconsciously, Emma shifts slightly closer to Regina, who is the only other source of warmth- and the superior one at that.   “Where do you think it went?” Emma practically yelps, and Regina presses her shoulders into Emma’s, doing the exact same thing Emma did to ward off the cold. Then, she rolls her eyes.

  
“Obviously into the pockets of the people who were smashing the things in my vault as a diversion to distract us from the fact that the scroll had already been stolen.” She sighs, tugging her coat around her more. “Which means Storybrooke’s most powerful magic user is outside and can’t help anyone on the inside. Oh and the Sheriff, but I mean she’s not that much use to anyone.” She smirks at Emma.

 

“Thanks Regina.” Emma grumbles, and turns back to the phone. “Mom. Mom- this is bad.”

 

“Yeah I know. I mean, why on Earth does Regina have severed toes in her vault? What kind of potion do you use them for, anyway-”

  
“Not that, Mom!” Emma cuts her mother off, exasperation clear in her tone. “The scroll! Both Regina and I are _outside_ of Storybrooke, meaning everyone there is vunerable. Okay.-”

 

“Henry.” Regina says, and Emma glances over to see her lips thin. “You need to get Henry to safety, okay Snow? Cruella and Ursula both know that Henry is a large amount of leverage against both me and Emma, and they might-” Regina shakes her head. “Bring him to the mansion. It has a lot of protection spells that they shouldn’t be able to get through.”

 

Emma agrees. “Yeah, Mom, just everyone- everyone go there.” Regina opens her mouth to object, but Emma gives her a warning stare. “You need to get that scroll back, okay?”

 

“Alright.” Snow says, her voice now clearly full of worry. “What are you going to do, Emma?”

  
Emma sighs. “Well, considering the fact that now it’s almost-” She glances at the now dark sky, and then at her watch. “Seven o'clock in the evening, I guess we’ll just have to camp out in my car for the night-”

 

“Absolutely not.” Regina looks positively green at the idea. “I am not spending one moment longer in this icebox of a vehicle. We are finding a place to stay, Emma.”

 

“I agree with Regina.” Snow answers, and Emma places a hand over her heart in mock surprise, grinning at the way that Regina snorts. “I’m pretty sure there’s a motel somewhere around here -”

 

“Eleven miles down the road.” Regina interrupts. She sniffs, and brings out her own phone. “I’ll look up the reviews. I am not staying in a rat-infested heap.” She taps, quickly, and Emma watches as her face smooths out. “Three stars. It’ll have to do, I suppose.” The note of disdain in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed by Emma, who realises she’ll have to put up with a whole lot of complaints once they arrive at that motel.

 

“Okay Mom. When you get the scroll back, you need to text us _immediately._ I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do to help, at this point-”

 

“Ursula and Cruella are most likely hiding up in Gold’s cabin in the woods.” Regina offers. “I told them about it when they first arrived. Also, I have some magical squid ink in my vault- that should help in immobilising them.”

 

“Got it.” Snow replies. “Are you sure you two are going to be alright?”

  
Emma opens her mouth to answer, but then closes it. _I hope we are._ She thinks, looking at Regina’s tight, and unhappy features. _I hope we are._

 

******************

 

“Maine Motel.” Regina glances at the dented and dusty sign that proclaims the motel’s name as they pull up into the drive. “How….original.”

 

“I believe it was an attempt at a pun.” Emma snorts, and looks at the place they’ve arrived at. It looks pretty gritty; the doors are a faded kind of yellow, all of which have some suspicious brown marks on them in places, and the main office’s windows are murky and scratched. “Right. Well, let’s go.”

 

They walk in- well Emma walks in, and Regina loiters slightly, inspecting one of the doors with a disdainful glance. Inside, a woman, probably in her early twenties chews on a piece of gum loudly, feet up on the counter. She glances at them lazily as they come in- then goes back to reading the flashy magazine that’s propped up on her legs. “Seventy for a night in our single room, one hundred for a twin.” She says, fingers twirling in her hair. “There’s  a separate restaurant in the next lot.”

 

Emma sighs, and turns to Regina. “Right.” She says, expectantly. Regina looks back at her, blankly. “The money, Regina.”

 

“What, you think I’m a walking cash machine?” Regina snorts. “Does it look like I carry a hundred dollars on me on a regular basis?”

 

Emma looks at her; Regina’s wearing an obviously expensive coat, whose price Emma doesn't even want to consider, a silk shirt and pressed formal trousers. To top it off, small diamond earrings glitter on her ears. “Uh- yes?”

 

Regina’s expression falters. “I only have fifty on me.”

  
Emma groans. “Well, I only have around forty on me… and we still want to eat, right?”

 

The girl looks up at them again; there seems to be a mischievous grin inching onto her face. “Looks like you two are going to be roommates for a night!”   
  
Regina looks like she wants to conjure a fireball and hurl it in the girl’s face; whereas Emma feels herself go pale. Oh- god. A whole night, in the same room- no, scratch that- _bed_ with Regina Mills?

 

Emma wonders if she’s going to even make it back to Storybrooke alive.

 

They pay up, and the girl hands over their room key, a twinkling look in her eye. “ Room five. You two ladies enjoy yourself!” She calls after them, and Regina growls under her breath.

 

They make their way up the rickety stairs, and Emma blushes slightly as she opens the door to their _(shit, their, their, their)_ room, ushering Regina inside. For a completely unrelated reason, her mind keeps on replaying all those shitty moments in the movies where the two lovers meet covertly, in a grotty motel room.

 

Completely unrelated to the situation she’s in now, of course. Because this is Regina- _this is Regina and of course she had to wear that one silk blouse today that’s Emma’s third favorite in the list of Regina Mills outfits-_

 

Emma sighs.

 

“Something wrong?” Regina asks, where she’s running a finger along the desk in the corner, wrinkling her nose as it comes back covered in grey dust. “This place is filthy.”

 

Emma swallows, and her eyes flicker nervously towards the lumpy looking bed in the middle. It’s sheets have a slight ragged look to them, and the pillows slump defeatedly. On the end of the bed is a dusty green cover, and when Emma lays a hand on it, to steady herself, a cloud of dust flies up, leaving both Regina and Emma alarmed.

 

“Oh-” Regina stomps over to the bed, and grabs the cover, sliding it off the bed and then shaking it out violently. Practically a whole layer of dust slides off, making Emma cough. “This is truly the worst place I’ve ever stayed in.”

  
Emma smirks, eyeing Regina slightly. “Yes, we all know that, Your Majesty.” She looks around the room again, shrugging. “I’ve stayed in worse places.” A memory of freezing nights spent in the bug after prison, cradling her empty stomach comes to mind, and she attempts to hold off the automatic grimace that comes with it.

 

“Your bug is atrocious.” Regina agrees, and lays the green cover back on the bed, wincing slightly at the rough material of the duvet. “It’ll do, for tonight. Snow and David better get that scroll back, however, because there is no way I’m staying here for another night-”

 

“Relax.” Emma says, and almost as though she’s drawn to Regina, lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. Emma has to stop herself from wincing, because contact between the two of them is very little, and she’s surely going to be rebuffed. However, to her surprise, the tension actually does leave Regina’s shoulders, ever so slightly. “It’s going to be okay.”

 

There’s a pause, and Regina nods. Then, she scrubs her hand against her face, and walks away, Emma’s hand sliding off her shoulder. “I just- I shouldn’t have trusted them.” She mutters, hands around her arms. “Not every villain from my past-” She sighs, shaking her head. “Let’s get something to eat, and then go to sleep.”

 

Emma raises her eyebrows. So they’re not going to address the elephant in the room- or in this case, the large single bed that the two of them will have to share?

 

 _Okay._ Emma thinks, and follows the other woman out of the room. _If Regina’s going to be casual about this, I can be casual. I am casual. So casual about this._

 

But her heart pounds in her chest every time she looks at Regina now, so maybe she’s not going to end up being so casual about this after all.

 

***********

 

They eat at a McDonalds, much to Regina’s utter dismay.

 

“I always hated these fast food chains.” Regina grumbles, picking at the burger and fries Emma had cajoled her into buying. “I never once allowed one to be set up in Storybrooke.”

 

Emma scoffs. “Storybrooke was frozen in time. If you’d allowed anyone from the outside in, they would have noticed something.”

  
“ _My point was,_ Henry was never allowed to eat this kind of-- well whatever this is. I’m not entirely sure it’s even a food.”

 

Emma shakes her head, taking a bite out of a chicken nugget, before dunking it in ketchup, and shifts onto another subject that’s been bothering her.“I keep on thinking-- what if Ursula and Cruella wanted us out of town for a reason?” She frowns, and takes a gulp of her drink. “I mean...what if something’s happening over there right now?”

 

Regina waves a hand. “You’re thinking too much into it, Emma. Neither of them have ever come up with a remotely clever plan on their own. We found them, at the right moment, and gave a chase. _Someone,_ ” She glares at Emma. “Wasn’t able to see the town line approaching and slow down. That’s what happened.”

 

Emma presses her hands together, under the table, and glances back down at her barely eaten food. “You- uh- finished?”

  
Looking down at the one bite of burger she’s consumed, Regina shrugs. “This place has atrocious food, Emma. We are never coming back here.”

 

“Okay.” Emma agrees, and _shit_ her voice is slightly breathless. She just keeps on thinking of a bed, and then Regina, and then Regina in the bed and _fuck no_ she has a boyfriend.

 

“You alright?” Regina asks, glancing at her oddly, and Emma realises she’s gone completely red.

 

“Yeah. Fine.” Emma replies, and then clears her throat, awkwardly. “It’s going to be a bit- well- I mean-”

 

“Spit it out, Emma.” Regina says with a sigh, but the amused twitch of her lips negate any kind of irritation.

 

“Isn’t it going to be--” Emma coughs, feeling her cheeks redden once more. “Awkward, sleeping in the same bed?”

 

Regina looks at her, and her eyes go wide. “W-what? We are in no way _ever_ sharing a bed, Ms Swan.”

 

_Oh shit._

 

***********

 

Turns out, Regina thinks that she should take the bed, and Emma can take the floor. Trying to recover from her earlier blunder, Emma refuses.

 

“No way. My back is sore.” Emma defends, scowling. “You can sleep on that disgusting carpet.” As soon as she says it, she realises who she’s talking to. There is no chance, in any kind of hell that Regina Mills will back down without a fight- especially on this matter.

 

They’ve paid for their meal, and are walking back to the motel, gravel crunching under both their feet as they bicker. “I am a Queen.” Regina states regally, and Emma scoffs.

  
“Not anymore, you aren’t.”

 

Regina gives her _the_ death glare; but Emma, accustomed to them, just ignores her. “Fine then. I am your superior, and if you don’t let me take the bed, I will fire you.”

“Town elected, remember?” Emma shoots back, smugly. There’s a pause, and then Regina huffs.

  
“A coin toss then.”

 

Emma looks at her, and snorts. “You? Putting your odds on coin toss?”

 

“I’ll take my chances.” Regina says, baring her teeth in a kind of grin- or more accurately, a snarl, that sends not-so-unpleasant shivers down Emma’s spine. “A one in two chance that you’ll end up on the dirty rug, and I’ll sleep on the bed. Those odds have worked for me before.”

 

“You’re playing with fire, Madam Mayor.” Emma says with a gleeful smirk, and digs a penny out of her wallet. “Heads or tails?”

 

Regina looks at the little coin for a full minute, closing her eyes, and then opening them again. “Heads.”

 

Emma nods, and readies the penny. There’s tension in the air- which is ridiculous. Emma suddenly realises how they must look; two grown woman, one of them, hands pressed together tightly as though she were praying, the other, in a stance as though she were about to run a marathon, with a little penny balanced between the pinch of her thumb and forefinger. Emma shrugs it off, because way too much is riding on this coin toss for Emma to think anymore about it.

 

She flips her finger up, and the coin spins in the air. Regina’s eyes follow it, dark and shadowed- Emma’s do as well, and the coin lands neatly in Emma’s palm, before she slaps it over onto her arm. She keeps her hand there. “Are you sure?”

 

Regina bows her head. “Just tell me.”

 

Emma takes her hand off, and jumps, almost guiltily. “....Tails, Regina.”

 

“ _What?”_

 

*************

 

Regina takes the loss….badly. Turns out she’s a sore loser, as much as she is a sore winner. “You cheated.” She grumbles, as they make their way up the stairs. “I will turn Henry against you and destroy your happiness.” She mutters as Emma unlocks the door. “I will open a portal and send you to another realm.”  She warns, as she begins to unbutton her slacks, and pulls out the silk shirt so it’s hanging over.

 

Emma doesn’t focus much on that threat- partially because she knows that Regina would never do that and partially because _holy hell Regina’s going to be half naked and Emma doesn’t know what to do with her-- legs Regina has so much leg--_

 

Emma shakes herself, still staring at the smooth expanse of flesh that Regina is allowing to be so casually on display. The other woman slides the trousers off her legs, folding them neatly and setting them on the table. The silk shirt hangs just enough to cover up anything more.

 

And- _fuck_ \- _why does she still have her high heels on?_

 

“Emma?” Regina asks, and slips her feet out of the high heels, immediately becoming three inches shorter. “Are you alright?”

 

Emma realises that her breath is coming in quick, short, bursts, and she’s staring quite pointedly, at Regina’s legs. She blushes a bright, bright red, and then, notices Regina’s smirk.

 

“My eyes are up here, Emma.” She says, and turns around, bending down to straighten the cover and Emma nearly faints.

 

_Fine. Two can play at that game._

 

It’s never been a question, between the two of them, the casual attraction that they’ve always shared. Certainly, in the early days, before the curse had broken, both Regina and Emma had used that to their advantage as much as they could. But the game they’d played- the one where they would add an extra swing to their hips as they walked out of the room knowing the other was watching, or the flickering of eyes to lip, or the way that Emma had greeted Regina at the door on her first day in Storybrooke in just her tanktop and underwear, starting it all- had dulled with curses, and rivalries, and raising their son.

 

But if Regina wanted to play this game again? _Fine._

 

Emma narrows her eyes at Regina’s back, and starts to unzip her own jeans, sliding them off. Then, allowing the slightest grin on her face, takes off her top, leaving her in just her bra and underwear. Regina turns around, and Emma revels in her sharp intake of air.

 

“W-what are you doing?”

 

“Do you mind?” Emma asks, innocently enough, though she’s sure her eyes are giving the game all away. “It’s just that- I usually sleep like this anyway.”

 

Regina’s lips press together, and in a careful, almost delicate way, she moves them down Emma’s body, as though she were scrutinizing every bit of her. Then, her eyes snap back up to Emma’s, and Emma is gleeful at the way that her cheeks have turned a shade darker.

 

“N-no.”

 

“Okay. As long as it’s fine with you.” Emma says, an understanding smile on her face.

 

“It’s fine.” Regina snaps. “It’s not like we’re sleeping in the same bed.” She toes the scruffy green cover again, and the dismay on her face is so blatant, that Emma’s resolve crumbles like a house of cards.

 

“Oh- dammit.” She mumbles under her breath, and curses the fact that apparently she can’t keep herself from playing hero for too long. She waves at the bed. “We can just- we can just...share.” She mumbles, suddenly feeling awkward. It’s not helping that right now, she’s only in her underwear. “I mean we’re both--” She stops, and fumbles for the word. “Henry’s mom.” She finishes lamely, and Regina raises an eyebrow, though relief is evident in her eyes.

 

“And why does that suddenly make things less awkward?” Regina asks sweetly, and her eyes dip down to Emma’s chest.  

 

“Because…” Emma flushes a bright red. “I don’t know.”

 

Regina shrugs. “As long as I don’t wake up to find you clutching onto me like a teddy bear, I will gladly accept your offer.” She’s away from the green cover in a heartbeat, on the other side of the bed, where she and Emma stare at each other.

 

“I’ll-” Emma rubs the back of her neck, and picks up her t-shirt, pulling it back on. “Just put this back on.”

 

Regina’s lips curve up into a smirk, and Emma unclasps her bra underneath the shirt, sliding it out. Then, both of them slide under the covers, Regina obviously wincing at the harsh material against skin.

 

“This is--”

 

“The worst bed you’ve ever slept in, I know.” Emma finishes for her, wryly, and clicks off the light. She turns on her side, and is surprised to see Regina’s face close to hers, also having turned that way. The other woman also looks vaguely startled.

  
“Well…” Emma begins, and she can feel the heat from Regina’s body. “Goodnight.” She turns around, and shuts her eyes, willing all the traitorous thoughts in her head to evaporate. She only hopes that Regina is finding this as hard as she is.

 

Regina tosses and turns for a while; Emma is disgruntled to find that Regina is not a person who sleeps quietly. At one point, when Emma’s pretty sure that Regina’s drifted off, the other woman’s leg shoots into her calf, and Emma has to bite down on her lip, fighting a yelp. Regina’s arm lands on her stomach soon after, and Emma gulps down her amusement, instead shifting the arm off her stomach, laying it next to Regina. The other woman is already asleep-- but she mumbles slightly when Emma touches her, and Emma can’t help a fond smile from spreading across her face. She allows herself one moment; just one- and brushes her hand along Regina’s jaw, tucking some hair back from her face. She freezes-- Regina’s eyelids flutter slightly-- but she doesn’t wake, so Emma leans back slowly, on her side of the bed, and fights off something which feels oddly like a kind of loss.

 

Soon Emma finds her own eyes drifting closed. But before she finds herself asleep completely, she’s sure she feels Regina’s fingers ghost across her back.

 

**************

 

When Emma wakes up, it’s to someone hugging- _no_ \- cuddling her. It’s still dark outside, and when Emma glances over at the clock, she sees it says 2:46 AM. Looking down, she realises, to her sleepy astonishment, that a mess of dark hair is resting against her chest, arms and legs wrapped around Emma.

 

Emma’s eyes go wide, and sleep flees instantly. _Regina is-- they’re--- Regina--_ Emma’s arm is wrapped around Regina’s back, and their legs are tangled together, in a way that is not at all uncomfortable.

 

“Oh my god.” Emma whispers into the dark, stifling a panicked giggle. Never, not even in any of her wildest dreams ( _okay, maybe like, a few)_ did she ever imagine that sharing a bed with Regina would amount to this situation. Being in close proximity to Regina was enough; this-- _this_ was a whole other level.

 

She tries to slide her hand out from under Regina’s back, but the other woman clutches tighter, snuffling slightly against Emma’s t-shirt. She nuzzles Emma’s neck, and goosebumps erupt along Emma’s body, as she inhales sharply. Regina’s lips press against her throat and Emma tries to stifle a groan. Emma knows, she _knows_ that if Regina wakes up in this position, she’s going to blame it on Emma, and then Emma will yell back, and then they’re both going to end up fighting, and that’s not going to be good-

 

But Regina has a grip like iron, and it doesn’t look like she’s going to let go of Emma anytime soon, so Emma looks up at the ceiling with a kind of bewilderment, because _why, why_ is this happening to her. Because Regina’s skin is smooth against hers, and compared to the rough sheets beneath the two, there’s an odd contrast. She can smell Regina’s shampoo, wafting up from the hair that is flung over the side of Regina’s face, and the woman herself...looks quiet, for once in her life. Peaceful, almost. Regina’s hardly ever peaceful; there’s always some kind of emotion playing across her face. Seeing her like this makes Emma’s heart swell, and then break, because _fuck_ this is hard for her. Somewhere along the line-- without even meaning to-- Emma had fallen a teensy little bit in love with Regina Mills.

 

But that revelation is too much for her to consider at 2:49 AM. So, before she knows it, her eyes have drooped once again, and she’s comfortable, relaxing into Regina’s grip around her, and falling asleep-- oddly content.

 

When she wakes up, it’s too Regina’s eyes searching her face, sun slanted across her cheeks. The first thing Emma registers is that their legs are still entwined-- and that she’s holding Regina close. However, Regina’s awake, and has obviously shifted her head off Emma’s shoulder, and is now--

 

Glaring at Emma.

 

“Morning.” Emma says, and shifts her eyes around. She hasn’t yet relinquished her grip on Regina, even though she knows that in a moment, things are going to go to shit.

 

“Good morning.” Regina says quietly, and her eyes bore directly into Emma’s. “Why are we--”

 

“I don’t know.” Emma answers, almost sulkily. “You cuddled me first.” And slowly, she releases her grip on Regina, feeling an embarrassing lump in her throat. “I didn’t-”

 

But before she can finish her sentence, Regina leans forward, and presses a chaste kiss on Emma’s mouth. For a moment, all that Emma can feel is the delicious pressure of Regina’s lips on hers, and then Regina leans back, eyes unreadable. The sun has moved, highlighting Regina’s hair, so that all the shades of brown are brought out, and Emma’s breath is taken away just for a moment.

 

“What was that?” Emma chokes out, and she can feel that her face is a nice shade of flaming red.

 

Regina begins to look slightly embarrassed. “I- I don’t know-” She swallows. “I just…” She shakes her head, and begins to move away from Emma, trying to disengage from her grasp. But something hopeful blooms in Emma’s chest, something that feels like a possibility, so she leans forward, and to stop Regina from running away from whatever this is, kisses her back.

 

Everything disappears, apart from Regina, and herself. Emma curls her hand on Regina’s hip, her lips moving softly against the other woman’s. Regina’s fingers comb through Emma’s hair, and Emma can feel them scraping softly against her scalp, something which makes Emma hum contentedly into the kiss. It’s lazy, and sleepy, and Emma doesn’t want it to ever end.

 

Regina tilts her head back slightly, breaking the kiss, causing Emma to look into her eyes again. “What- what was that?” She asks, and Emma brings her thumb up, tracing Regina’s lower lip.

 

“I don’t know.” Emma replies, and a grin spreads across her face. “Wanna find out?” She slides her leg along Regina’s, and the other woman’s breath hitches in her throat, before a smirk inches onto her face.

 

“Absolutely.” She purrs, and that’s all they say for a while.

 

************

 

They’re back in the bug at 11:00, a text from Snow telling them to go to the town line, as soon as they can. Regina clutches a cup of coffee in her hands, the steam wafting off it in circles. Nearby, Emma’s trying to start the car up, the obstinate engine proving hard to power up in the cold winter air.

 

“Your car is atrocious.” Regina calls, and Emma looks over from where she’s bent over the hood to see Regina looking at her.

 

“My eyes are up here, Regina.” Emma teases, and is pleased to see a playful flash in Regina’s eyes. “The bug just needs a bit of TLC, that’s all.”   


“I swear, one day you are going to be driving out in the middle of nowhere, and it’s going to crap out on you.” Regina says with a scowl.

 

“Oh what, so you mean like now?” Emma replies, and slams the hood down, dusting off her hands. She smiles at the other woman, who just sips her coffee with a raised eyebrow. “Give me some of that.” She gestures towards the coffee, groaning as the smell filters through the air. “I need some caffeine.”

 

Regina hands the cup to her, fingers brushing Emma’s as she passes the cup over. And because Emma seems to have no control over her feelings right now, she blushes. “Thanks.” She stutters, and takes a large gulp, wincing at the way that the liquid burns down her throat. “Alright. Let’s go.”

 

Regina’s quiet on the way back to the town line, and Emma nibbles on her lip, wondering whether she should ask her about that morning. Emma has a boyfriend _(who she’s avoided thinking about so far)._ Regina’s still getting over her crappy soulmate. They share a son, and miles of history. It’s messy.

 

But Emma has no impulse control, and so a few minutes away from the town line, she blurts out, “So what now?”

 

Regina seems to know exactly what she’s saying. “I suppose that’s up to you, dear.”

  
This surprises Emma. “What do you mean?”

  
“I mean-” Regina blows out a large breath, looking down at her hands. “You have your pirate to think of, Emma. But--” She hesitates. “I--”

 

“I like you.” Emma blurts out, and for what feels like the millionth time in the past twenty-four hours, feels herself go red. “I liked- I like us.”

 

Regina looks over at her, and it isn’t hard to see the glimmer of hope shining on her face. “You do?”

 

“I do.” Emma says softly, and then the orange of the town line appears. “I like you.” She repeats. “And maybe-- maybe we could see what happens?” She asks, cautiously.

 

Regina isn’t one to be shy; but in that moment something like a blush spreads over her face, and she ducks her head. “Okay.” She mutters slightly, a hint of a smile on her face. Emma feels her own face split into a grin.

 

Emma parks on the road, and she and Regina step out into the cold Maine air, both of them not saying a word. But Emma presses her shoulders into Regina’s, and grabs her hand, something which is hidden by the folds of cloth of both their winter jackets. They wait.

However, after five minutes, Emma sighs. “Do you think Snow got side tracked by a ‘perfect picture’ opportunity again?”

 

“They would have to drive through the forest to get to the town line.” Regina says with an eye roll. “Your mother is unable to focus on a task longer than a minute, I swear. The attention span of a goldfish.”

 

Emma nudges her. “I think it’s futile to ask you to stop making fun of her.”

 

Regina just smirks.

 

Emma squints at the town line, as though she would be able to see past all the enchantments, and checks her watch again. “It’s funny to think that we would never have- well- ended up like this if we hadn’t had to share a bed.” She says, shivering slightly.

 

Regina presses more into her side, and chuckles. “ You know, as soon as I lost that coin toss, I knew I had to do something.” She says. “I mean, did you see that cover? It had stains on it that were most definitely not part of the design.”

 

Emma twists around, putting her arms around Regina’s waist, a smile playing on her lips. “Regina… what did you do?”

 

Regina raises an eyebrow, and her eyes are light with a kind of happiness. “Well, you know that game we’ve always played? It’s worked well for me in the past; god knows you could never stop staring at my chest whenever I wore that one silk shirt. So I decided, the only way you were going to let me into the bed was if you...were convinced. And honestly, Emma, you caved so easily. I expected more from you.”

 

Emma leans her forehead against Regina’s, a mock look of surprise on her face. “Regina Mills- are you telling me you tried to seduce me to get into my bed?”

 

Regina sniffs. “I didn’t expect it to end up with me quite literally sleeping with you. Not that I’m objecting, of course.”

 

Emma kisses her then; softly, tasting the coffee on Regina’s lips. She knows that Regina is just as hesitant about what they’re doing as Emma is; after all, they clash so, so easily and there’s so much other stuff to consider. Stuff like pirates, and parents, and dark pasts that always inevitably catch up- but in that moment, Emma doesn’t care, because she has _Regina Mills_ in her arms, and she’s kissing her because she can.

 

“One day.” Regina murmurs against her lips, and Emma leans back. “One day is all it took. If I’d known I could tear you away from the pirate with just a day away from Storybrooke, I would have employed your terrible driving skills much earlier.” Emma kisses her again.

 

It’s only the angry and hard clatter of a scroll against their faces that breaks them apart, and Emma rubs her jaw where the scroll hit her with annoyance. Regina stares, the scroll lying at their feet. “Well...I guess we don’t have to tell your parents about this then.” She says, and picks up the scroll. Emma tries to muffle a snigger; it doesn’t work.

 

The disgruntled faces of Snow and David are revealed, and Emma waves sheepishly. Regina just looks smug. “Hello Snow.” She drawls, and steps daintily over the line. “Good to see you two again.”

 

“My-- daughter--” David says, and his face is turning an odd shade of red. “I thought-- Killian--”

 

“Sorry Dad.” Emma shrugs, a rueful look on her face. “We’ve been out a couple of times and it’s not...working out really.” It’s Regina turn now to let out a snicker, and Emma squeezes her hand, rolling her eyes.

 

“Snow, I just want to say--”

 

“Save it Regina.” Snow grumbles, and sighs. “I knew this day would come. I mean, back during the curse I was fairly sure Emma was in love with you, so I have made my peace.”

  
Regina looks vaguely disappointed; but she turns to Emma with a soft look on her face. “Are you going to go get the rusty piece of junk now? We still need to deal with Cruella and Ursula.”

 

“Wanna ride back with me to town?” Emma asks, stepping back over the town line, the Snow Queen’s scroll still in her hands, so the others are visible.

 

“No thank you.” Regina calls. “I’ve had enough of that yellow monstrosity. See you in my office in fifteen minutes, alright?”

 

She disappears in a plume of purple smoke, and Emma looks at the spot where she was with a somewhat soppy look on her face.

 

Snow and David let out simultaneous sighs of exasperation.

 

**********

 _Five years later..._  


“It’s been five years, I’m surprised this place hasn’t been shut down.” Regina remarks, as they travel past the snow covered trees. “How does it still have any clientele?”

 

“Not everyone can afford five star hotels, Regina.” Emma answers, rolling her eyes. “And besides, we needed a place to stay for the night.”

 

“I don’t understand why we couldn’t have just gone straight to the airport.” Regina grumbles. “We’re on our honeymoon, Emma, not a road trip.”

 

“It’s romantic!” Emma says, outrage in her voice. “The place where we first...connected.” She waggles her eyebrows suggestively, and Regina pushes her arm, causing the bug to swerve slightly. “Oi! Regina, watch it.”

 

“I think this is a record; considering a divorce two hours after marriage.” Regina muses, but the twinkle in her eye negates any kind of real annoyance. “I am at a loss to see how this is romantic.”

 

“It was either this or your front porch.” Emma replies, and seeing Regina’s questioning look, elaborates. “Where we first met, or where we first-”   


“If you make that joke again and we are turning this hunk of scrap metal right back around and back to Storybrooke.” Regina warns. They pull up on the gravel drive of ‘Maine Motel’ and Regina wrinkles her nose at the even dirtier sign. “It hasn’t changed a bit. The review said it was still three stars, Emma.” She says with a disappointed sigh.

 

Emma laughs, and grabs Regina’s hand, pressing it to her lips. “I love it when you talk snobby to me.”

 

Regina raises an eyebrow, and steps out of the car, wandering towards the motel reception. “You coming dear?” Emma hurries after her, snow crunching under her feet.

 

The bell tinkles as they step in; at the reception desk is the very same girl, reading a similar magazine. She looks up, smacking on her gum, and stands. “Welcome to Maine Motel,” She begins, boredom evident in her tone. “We are so glad that you have decided to stay with us this night.”

 

“At least their customer service has improved.” Emma whispers to her wife, and nudges her shoulder. “We would like room five, please.” She asks, and crosses her fingers, hoping the room isn’t occupied.

 

The woman squints at Emma; and then chuckles. “I recognize you two. You’re the ones who had to share a bed for a night and ended up hooking up-”

 

“The key, please.” Regina interjects, and holds out her hand. Emma doesn’t dare question how the girl knows that they ‘hooked up’.

 

“You two still together then?” The girl asks, turning towards the box with the keys in them. “I assume you know the price.”

 

“Married, now, actually.” Emma grins at Regina, and places the money on the desk. “For two hours, approximately.”

 

The girl grunts. “Congrats. Here’s your key, enjoy your stay.”

 

Emma grabs Regina’s hand, and they make their way outside, and up the stairs, to the same door, which has a fresh coat of paint on it. Emma unlocks the door, and is instantly brought back to that one day, all those years ago. Regina seems to also feel the same, if the nostalgic look on her face is anything to go by.

 

“I see they replaced the cover.” Regina says, wandering over to the now red cover on the bed. She pats it, and a cloud of dust flies up again. “Well, it seems to be just as dirty as the old one.” She takes it off. “Coin toss to see who will sleep on it tonight?” She jokes.

 

Emma walks over to where Regina is standing, putting her arms around her waist. “Doesn’t this bring back such fun memories?” She says with a wink, and Regina grins.

  
“I will admit, this is slightly romantic. Although I’m looking forward to the nice five star hotel we have booked a little more.”

 

Emma chuckles. “Me too. I just wanted to...remind you, you know?”

 

“Of my attempts at seduction so I wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor?” Regina replies, bringing her hands up to Emma’s face. “Although, I am glad that your driving skills were so atrocious. It gave us this chance.” She moves her thumb across Emma’s cheek, eyes shining.

 

“Mmmm. Well, we probably would have ended up together, somehow. Too much sexual tension.” She waggles her eyebrows.  

 

“It might have taken longer though. You had that awful pirate.” Regina reminds her, and Emma makes a face.

 

“Why would you bring up Hook now?” She asks, and then sighs. “And you were getting over Robin.”

 

Now it’s Regina’s turn to look exasperated. “Are we going to spend our first few hours of marriage rehashing our past relationships?”

 

“Sorry.” Emma grumbles. Then, she grins. “I know how we can spend them in a much more pleasurable way.”

 

Regina raises an eyebrow. “Alright then.” She bites her lip with a smile. “I love you, Emma.”

 

“Love you too.” Emma replies, and kisses her softly.

 

The sun filters through the windows, and highlights the two women, standing beside a lumpy bed in a grotty motel room, wrapped entirely in their love.

 


End file.
